ArticleCureus2026
When Rhythm Control Backfires: Flecainide-Precipitated Transient Cardiomyopathy in the Setting of Electrical Cardioversion.
Article in Cureus, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Flecainide, a class Ic antiarrhythmic, is a potent sodium channel blocker that slows conduction through the atria, atrioventricular (AV) node, and His-Purkinje system. It is effective for rhythm control in atrial fibrillation (AF) in appropriately selected patients but carries a risk of significant bradyarrhythmia, conduction system suppression, and negative inotropy. Flecainide is generally considered safe in patients without structural heart disease, left ventricular dysfunction, or significant coronary artery disease; however, rare cases of reversible cardiomyopathy have been reported. Current guidelines continue to recommend flecainide for rhythm control in carefully selected patients with AF who do not have structural heart disease, including for cardioversion of recent-onset AF, pretreatment before direct current cardioversion, the "pill-in-the-pocket" approach, and ongoing maintenance of sinus rhythm. This case describes a 73-year-old male with long-standing persistent AF, no structural heart disease, and normal left ventricular systolic function who was started on flecainide following successful AF ablation. Subsequently, he developed recurrent AF and underwent elective cardioversion, which was complicated by profound conduction suppression and likely flecainide-precipitated transient cardiomyopathy in the setting of electrical cardioversion. Prompt recognition and management led to a full recovery, emphasizing the importance of careful patient selection and monitoring when using flecainide, as it may, in rare cases, be associated with or precipitate cardiomyopathy in the peri-cardioversion setting.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.